During the pandemic, the team at CDL-Oxford was looking for ways to help their stakeholders feel connected despite most human interaction having been moved to the virtual world. They asked us to design a mini-book — something sleek and tangible that would feel like a special gift. The result is this fun, elegant and energetic piece that captures the spirit of the CDL-Oxford community and is guaranteed to be a collector’s item for CDL insiders.

It was such a big hit that they asked us to design three versions in 2021 - one tailored for each of its main audiences: mentors, ventures and students.

“Working with Studio Wyse has been a real pleasure. Fresh creativity, streamlined processes, and flexibility. I would highly recommend the agency both for big and small projects.”
Lusiana Castiglione, Marketing and Communications Manager, CDL-Oxford

The Creative Destruction Lab is a seed-stage program for massively scalable, science-based companies, run out of the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. For three years in a row, we helped them compile their Year-In-Review book, which was sent out to all volunteers, participants and delegates at their annual Super Session event which had moved online for 2020.

CDL continues to grow exponentially, expanding into Oxford, Paris and Atlanta and launching the Recovery Program, which aims to accelerate the world’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. This year’s book sought to summarize their extensive work while telling more of CDL’s stories and trying to capture the essential ingredient to their success: a top-notch community of academics, scientists, entrepreneurs and students.

We used macro and micro photographs to frame abstract concepts (like quantum mechanics), used their signature pink as a highlighting element throughout the book, included lots of photos from their IRL events and highlighted Slack messages from their highly active virtual community.

“It is always such a pleasure to work with the Studio Wyse team on our annual Year in Review publication, one of the most comprehensive marketing outputs produced at Creative Destruction Lab. The Studio Wyse team always brings the best energy and creativity to push the boundaries of what’s possible, providing us with the right framework to operate in and communicate our narrative to the target audience in the most effective way. The Year in Review book continues to be the heaviest lift but with the most rewards; from the project management, design, and storytelling — Studio Wyse’s ability to deliver high quality work on strict timelines is evident.”
Amarpreet Kaur, Marketing Lead, Creative Destruction Lab